Postdoctoral Research Associates in Synthetic and Analytical Chemistry (2 posts)

Oxford, South East England, United Kingdom

Posted about 3 weeks agoExpires on November 30, 2018

Salary: Grade 7: £32,236 - £39,609 p.a.

Applications are invited for two Postdoctoral Research Associates to work under the supervision of Professor Claire Vallance and Dr Malcolm Stewart in the Department of Chemistry and Dr Dean James of Oxford HighQ on a research project funded by Innovate UK for a period of 6 - 8 months, depending on start date. The project is part of an ongoing collaboration between the University of Oxford and Oxford HighQ, a new spin-out company that is developing a range of chemical sensors using new optical microcavity technology.

The two appointees will work on developing and optimising a series of colourimetric assays for detecting common nutrients and pollutants in rivers and lakes, including nitrates, phosphates, heavy metals, and organic pollutants. We envisage that one appointee will have skills in synthetic organic chemistry, and will focus on synthesising necessary reagents for the assays, and the second will have experience in spectroscopic measurement and analysis of liquid samples. The two appointees will work together to optimise both the chemistry and the measurements and data analysis in order to achieve the lowest possible detection limit for each analyte in bulk assays. If time permits, at the end of the project the appointees will work with the company to evaluate the assays within a microcavity sensor.

In order to have optimum access to state-of-the-art wet lab facilities and analytical instrumentation for the duration of these relatively short projects, the postholders will be based within the new Chemistry Teaching Laboratory, and will have the opportunity to gain teaching experience through a limited amount of lab demonstrating (up to one day per week).

Applicants should have a PhD or equivalent experience in chemistry.

The post will be based in the Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford.